I broke my own business model.
I'm scaling 5 startups simultaneously. Demand is outpacing my hands. I'm seriously grateful for that.
The standard advice I hear: "Just hire." "Build an agency. Hire talent. Mark them up. Keep the margin."
I don't intend to rush it.
I've built teams before. Managed engineers for more than a decade. I know what hiring actually costs. It takes time. Energy. Overhead. Training. Managing. You add capacity but also complexity.
And I already drive at 100 kmph.
The reality: I still have significant debt. Cash flow is increasing fast but is still fragile. I'm building a runway. I'm unsure I can just throw cash at the problem.
One fact: I refuse to trade commitment and quality for sales. If that means a quick pivot to fix it, I pivot ruthlessly.
The playbook I'm writing in real-time:
→ Ruthless AI-first execution. I type it twice? An agent does it next time. → Productize my brain (selling my blueprints, not only hours). → Strictly time-block each client. Force me to be extremely efficient. → Limit all distractions. Batch all communications. Async-first. → Systemize. What I solve for Startup A is a template for Startup B. → I care deeply. But I won't sugarcoat bad decisions. I don't waste time. → Act 20% ready. Make decisions fast with limited info. → Evaluate my next hire: VA or Technical Writer?
Painful? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
I'm figuring it out live.